stoke 1-0

Independent:

Rare sight of a Cole goal keeps Chelsea on top of pile
Chelsea 1 Stoke City 0:

Disciplined Stoke keep Chelsea’s new stars quiet but the old guard come to the rescue

Steve Tongue

It took the collector’s item that is an Ashley Cole goal to ensure that Chelsea will still top the Premier League whatever their Manchester rivals manage from tricky assignments today.

Statisticians were checking the last time they had last played out successive goalless draws when the England left-back finished off one of their more coherent moves by dinking the ball over Asmir Begovic from close in for his first score since May 2010.
Significantly, one international colleague, Frank Lampard, had just been summoned from the dug-out, where he had sat all afternoon beside another one, John Terry, who was then called on to preserve the lead in the final minutes. The key was that the ball had at last been moved wide rather than pushed through the centre, however elegantly, by an unbalanced  midfield. A trio of Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard in a line behind Fernando Torres may have looked appetising, but proved an embarrassment of very expensive riches.
As against Juventus in midweek Hazard, gifted as he is, declined to stay wide on the left, repeatedly cluttering up the middle where a solid Stoke defence repelled them with ease for much of the afternoon. There was a perfect example of the problem midway through a dull first half, when Mata moved sideways in possession, looking to spread the play to the left flank only to find there was nobody there; Hazard had wandered inside again.
“We certainly need more work to integrate into our system,” Chelsea’s manager Roberto di Matteo admitted. “Sometimes we certainly lacked a bit of width so we needed the full-backs to provide us with that.”
The imbalance essentially stemmed from resting Lampard, which meant Ramires, who has come to look comfortable playing wide on the right, had to sit deeper alongside Jon Obi Mikel as a defensive midfielder. Mata was more disciplined on the right but too often Chelsea were left relying on Branislav Ivanovic and Cole to push forward.
On the few occasions that Robert Huth and the equally solid Ryan Shawcross were troubled, Fernando Torres’s sad lack of confidence was all too evident and Chelsea only improved when Hazard was replaced by Victor Moses, who produced an encouraging cameo for the second weekend running with his direct running down the right. Unlike the game at Queens Park Rangers last Saturday, there was reward this time.
In the 84th minute, Cole was involved early on in a slick passing move in which Lampard, newly arrived, helped the ball out wide, Ivanovic laid it square and Mata with a deft back-heel found Cole, who had kept running, unmarked and onside in the six- yard box to score.
It was hard on Stoke, who had begun the campaign with four successive draws. Jonathan Walters sat deep on right, breaking when he could, Charlie Adam slung diagonal balls towards Peter Crouch, and they could have been ahead from the 20th minute with a set-piece. Cole conceded a free-kick which Glenn Whelan placed right into the danger area, where Walters rose highest to head against the bar.
Tony Pulis, who may have succeeded Martin O’Neill as the most demonstrative Premier League manager, showed his frustration but had little else to concern him at that stage. Chelsea struggled to create anything more than half chances, the earliest two falling to the out-of-touch Torres. He headed Mata’s corner too high and after taking down the same player’s lovely chip on his chest, missed his kick completely. “Didier Drogba, he would have scored” the visiting fans mocked; a good many home supporters must have thought the same.
Little actually reached Begovic in goal, whereas Petr Cech did at least have to hold Marc Wilson’s 30 yarder; the goalkeeper then fumbled an attempted header by Michael Kightly, who was on the end of a fiercely hit cross by Geoff Cameron, the American full-back.
The home team’s frustration, keenly felt by a quiet crowd, was summed up early in the second half when Oscar was rightly shown a yellow card by Michael Oliver for his outrageous piece of simulation in attempting to win a penalty. As the rush of substitutions began it was notable that Stoke’s were in attack. Pulis, quite happy with the way his defence was coping, sent on a promising little striker called Michael Owen for his longest run yet; he duly laid the ball out for a cross by Cameron, the other substitutes Kenwyn Jones and Matthew Etherington almost contriving a goal from it.
“I’m very disappointed to lose,” said Pulis. “We’ve played well against Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea now and today we just haven’t had the breaks. It’s probably the best we’ve played against Chelsea in the five years we’ve been in the Premier League.” Stoke have yet to beat them, but Di Matteo was showing unjustified optimism in suggesting that from the start of the second half “I thought it was a question of time.”
That time was running out fast before the decisive intervention from an unexpected source.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel (Lampard, 81); Mata (Terry, 88), Oscar, Hazard (Moses, 61); Torres.

Stoke (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Cameron, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson; Whelan, N’Zonzi; Walters, Adam (Owen, 64), Kightly (Etherington, 71); Crouch (Jones, 75).

Referee: Michael Oliver.
Man of the match: Mata (Chelsea)
Match rating: 5/10


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Observer:

Chelsea's Ashley Cole strikes late to break stubborn Stoke City

Paul Doyle at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea's quest for style means more than integrating recent recruits: it also, apparently, entails teaching old dogs new tricks. After 85 minutes of frustration, Ashley Cole, who had not scored since an 8-0 win over Wigan in May 2010, popped up and finished like a natural striker, dinking the ball over Asmir Begovic to sicken valiant Stoke City and give Chelsea a three-point reward for an uncertain performance.
Chelsea went into the match on top of the league but that did not fool anyone into thinking this evolving team is flawless. The demolition by Atlético Madrid in the Super Cup, followed by haphazard draws with Queens Park Rangers and Juventus, left plenty of room for doubt about the rebuilding at Stamford Bridge. The team's transition is far from complete.
Roberto Di Matteo rotated his squad by leaving John Terry and Frank Lampard on the bench and deploying the three creators who have been bought to add panache to the team's play. Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard began together for the first time, forming a trio of inventors just behind Fernando Torres.
The home side began well and forced early corners but the effects of their unfamiliarity with each other soon became apparent, as passes were mislaid and intentions misread. There also seemed to be a systemic problem as, despite Stoke's solidity in the centre, Chelsea persisted in trying to pick a way through the middle, occasional bursts down the right by Branislav Ivanonic being the only use that was made of the wings.
On the one occasion in the first half that Chelsea's intricacy was enough to undo diligent Stoke, Torres fluffed in all too familiar fashion. The Spaniard made a clever run to collect Mata's looped pass and killed the ball beautifully on his chest but then embarrassed himself with a miskick from six yards.
"Didier Drogba, he would have scored that!" taunted Stoke fans, who had a point. The effect of that mishap on Torres's already bruised confidence seemed clear later in the half when he twice shunned chances to shoot and passed instead.
Stoke could have been in front before that, Jonathan Walters having powered a header against the bar in the 19th minute after he and Robert Huth were left unmarked to attacked a Glenn Whelan free-kick.
Not until the second half did Chelsea's conjurers summon magic. Beguiling interplay between Hazard and Oscar bewitched the visiting defence before the Brazilian collapsed in the box under a challenge from Ryan Shawcross. The referee made Oscar a grouch by booking him for simulation.
Oscar came close to cheering himself up two minutes later but Begovic blocked his well-struck shot from the edge of the area and, in general, Chelsea still looked short of ideas. Di Matteo sought to stimulate improvement by replacing Hazard with another summer recruit, Victor Moses.
The Nigeria international's first contribution was to unhinge the defence with a run through the middle in the 67th minute, before slipping the ball to Oscar, whose 18-yard shot brought another block from Begovic.
Oscar's influence was growing, but that of Torres was receding to the point that the striker was irrelevant as Chelsea chased victory in the closing stages.
Di Matteo said that Daniel Sturridge is expected to be fit by next weekend, which means the manager will have a big selection decision for the game with Arsenal. "I don't care who scores," said Di Matteo. "We've got goals coming from all over the team and that makes us more unpredictable."
It was certainly hard to see Cole's decisive contribution coming. He had seldom ventured forward until appearing at the edge of Stoke's six-yard box five minutes from time. He finished with aplomb, clipping the ball over Begovic after receiving a deft flick from Mata.
Di Matteo, who last night secured David Luiz to a new five-year deal, insisted the win was deserved but acknowledged his team must improve. "It's the first time we've tried that lineup [with Hazard, Mata and Oscar behind Torres]," he said. "It certainly needs more work and practice to be able to tactically integrate them perfectly into our system, but it's just a question of time and them getting to know each other better."


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Stoke City 0
By Jason Burt, Stamford Bridge

For much of this encounter Roman Abramovich had that look on his face — a mixture of bemusement and Roman Emperor-like displeasure — that suggested Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo should be shifting a little uneasily on the bench.
In the end, Chelsea got the victory they desired, but did not necessarily deserve, and the club’s owner will have felt a pang of vindication that his visit to the training ground the day after the Champions League draw at home to Juventus had the necessary effect.
Certainly there appeared to be a reaction in the Chelsea line-up. No John Terry — who on Monday faces the Football Association charge for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand – and no Frank Lampard as youth was given its head. And there was bravery in that.
Both eventually came on but this was most definitely a glimpse at Chelsea’s future, at the young, creative team that Abramovich craves, that he has demanded no less, and which he has spent so much money to assemble.
Eden Hazard (tricky as ever) £32 million. Oscar (who was excellent) £25 million. Juan Mata (tirelessly creative) £23 million and Fernando Torres, the costliest of them all at £45 million and, once more, a crushing, brooding disappointment at the point of Chelsea’s attack. That’s a cool £125 million of attack.
The Oscar-Mata-Hazard axis is hugely exciting. “It’s the first time we have tried it,” Di Matteo said. “It needs more work, more practice to tactically integrate them into our system but it’s important to have these players with their technical ability.”
Torres’s body language, his lack of movement said it all. He had one outstanding opportunity to score and fluffed it completely — taking an 'air shot’ when through on goal after yet more superb build-up play by Mata who was instrumental in Chelsea’s late goal — from the unlikeliest source with Ashley Cole scoring for the first time in more than two years.
Inevitably, the Stoke fans sang “Didier Drogba, he would have scored that” at Torres’s miss which brought to mind that this was exactly the type of game the now former striker would have grabbed by the scruff of the neck. “Chelsea will miss Drogba and it will mean a few points less,” Jose Mourinho had declared and Di Matteo may well have fretted until Cole’s intervention.
It is always dangerous for Chelsea managers when Abramovich is in town and he was in his executive box, next to his right-hand man and key director Eugene Tenenbaum as he watched his team huff and puff and weave pretty patterns that hit a stonewall of Stoke resistance stoically marshalled by Ryan Shawcross.
It would appear ridiculous to suggest that Di Matteo is under any pressure but Chelsea are about style as well as substance. Abramovich wants a different way of playing; he wants some bang for his buck and the fact that he was here has to make any manager nervous — just ask the last six who have been sacked by the Russian billionaire. And a Champions League trophy is no insulation for Di Matteo; not when the man who signs the cheques is demanding more. Chelsea are on top of the Premier League, three points clear, and unbeaten but this was a far from impressive performance. It was also a first win in four matches in all competitions.
Stoke were unfortunate, with manager Tony Pulis raging that David Luiz should have been dismissed for a late, reckless tackle on Jonathan Walters. He had a case. And probably had a case when complaining that Branislav Ivanovic had dived in search of a penalty; although he was harsh on Oscar by levelling the same accusation.
“This is most probably the best we have played at Chelsea in the five years we’ve been in the Premier League,” Pulis said and he was right. He will, in particular, rue a header from Walters that crashed against the bar as he met Glenn Whelan’s free-kick and also a rash decision by Geoff Cameron to drive a cross at Michael Kightly rather than merely pick out the winger who nevertheless drew a save from Petr Cech with Gary Cahill hacking the rebound clear.
Then there was a shot by substitute Matthew Etherington which was dragged across goal but, despite the attacking intent of both sides, chances were at a premium while Chelsea looked 'narrow’ in attack, lacking width to draw out the Stoke defence.
Torres headed over from Mata’s corner and that attacking trio behind the Spanish striker worked hard to try and eke out opportunities for him. Sometimes their build-up play was over-elaborate, sometimes they were out of synch, but there is a huge amount of young talent bubbling along with substitute Victor Moses also continuing to impress.
Despite his slight frame, Oscar almost made the breakthrough. Asmir Begovic did well to hold on to a low shot from the 21 year-old who almost capitalised as Moses turned strongly on halfway to power forward and lay the ball off. Oscar cut inside but, again, his shot was held before he another powerful effort skimmed wide.
Mata also went close. He got his angles wrong with one Ivanovic lay-off, side-footing inaccurately and then was only stopped by a fine tackle by Shawcross as he threatened to wriggle free. Finally Chelsea did score. This time Moses laid the ball out to Ivanovic who crossed low. Mata’s clever flick made it — turning the ball goalwards for Cole, of all people, to lift his shot over Begovic and into the net.

Match details
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel (Lampard 82); Mata (Terry 89), Oscar, Hazard (Moses 62); Torres.
Subs: Turnbull (g), Romeu, Azpilicueta, Bertrand.
Booked: Oscar, Luiz.

Stoke City (4-5-1): Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson; Walters, N'Zonzi, Whelan, Adam (Owen 64), Kightly (Etherington 72); Crouch (Jones 75).
Subs: Sorensen (g), Whitehead, Upson, Shotton.
Booked: Adam.

Referee: M Oliver (Northumberland)

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Mail:

Chelsea 1 Stoke 0: Blues get a taste of their own medicine
By Rob Draper

For Chelsea the scenario is familiar. A technical team playing neat, passing football are frustrated by a much more physical, direct team.
Only now the roles are reversed and, fortunately for Chelsea on Saturday, Stoke could not quite repeat the miracle of the Nou Camp that their hosts had performed in Barcelona last April.

But Chelsea have changed; the tactics that earned them their precious European Cup have been consigned to the dustbin in pursuit of the more joyous football demanded by Roman Abramovich, who was watching.

The trouble is, theory and practice are often uneasy bedfellows.
Even though Frank Lampard and John Terry started on the bench - merely squad rotation according to Roberto di Matteo - an attacking line of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata supporting Fernando Torres was enough to quicken the pulse.
You feared for Stoke . . . quite unnecessarily, of course.
For Tony Pulis and his players these challenges are routine. They simply applied the defensive template Chelsea used against Barcelona.
The hosts were permitted to pass the ball endlessly in front of City's disciplined defensive ranks but were rarely permitted behind the lines.
And it was not just that they were five minutes from pulling it off; at times they looked a degree more effective on the break than Chelsea did.

'It's the first time we have tried Mata, Hazard and Oscar together and it certainly needs more work and practice to be able to integrate them into our system,' said manager Di Matteo.

'But I thought today it worked very well. It's a question of time, practice and them knowing each other better.
'But I think it's great to have these players with great technical ability who are good in small spaces, because every team who come to Stamford Bridge defend very deep with a lot of men so there's not much space.'
When the goal did come, on 85 minutes, it was at least worthy of the wait, if only for the delightful Mata backheel which provided Ashley Cole with the opportunity to lift the ball over Asmir Begovic from six yards out for his first Chelsea goal in more than two years.
That had been preceded by a crisp passing movement initiated by Lampard to Ramires, who found Branislav Ivanovic, who touched the ball on to Mata.
The preceding 84 minutes were less inspiring and of the Chelsea front four, ironically it was Torres who looked least at ease, given that this is the system supposedly designed for him.
To his credit, he never stops trying. On the debit side, there was another bad miss on 27 minutes when a delightful chip from Mata found him in space eight yards out.
Although he controlled with his chest well, he completely missed his shot. Oscar, bridging the cultural chasm between Pele and Pulis, was not altogether successful: a theatrical fall after a robust yet clean challenge from Ryan Shawcross in the penalty area earned him a yellow card and the wrath of Pulis.

But he was not without his moments either.
His touch is exquisite and his precocious talent not in doubt as he cut inside Geoff Cameron on 66 minutes to force a stretched one-handed save from Begovic with a shot from 20 yards.

His movement to slip away from Shawcross on 70 minutes, to create a chance to shoot just wide, was beguiling and it was Hazard, not the 21-year-old Brazilian, who gave way after 60 minutes when Di Matteo needed to make a change But it was Stoke who had created the first clear-cut chance on 20 minutes.
A superb inswinging freekick from Glenn Whelan was met firmly by Jon Walters but rebounded off the bar. Then Cameron thumped in a cross which was met by a Michael Kightly header.

Cech fumbled and it took Gary Cahill to hack clear. Long-range wayward efforts from Cole and David Luiz did little to hearten the locals but so effective were Stoke's defensive lines that Chelsea could manage little else.

Mata went close with a fierce shot from 20 yards, which was saved by Begovic, but was less impressive two minutes later, skewing a shot embarrassingly wide.

The introduction of Michael Owen on 64 minutes - 'a breath of fresh air at the club,' according to Pulis - suggested the manager wanted more than mere survival but it was Kenwyne Jones, heading on a cross for Matt Etherington eight yards out on 79 minutes, who almost provided a first victory this season.

Etherington though shot wide.

Two minutes into added time, there was a Luiz tackle on Walters.
Studs were up and Luiz connected with Walters' shin.
Had he been in red-and-white stripes, you suspect it might have been a red rather than yellow card that was shown.

'You said that, not me,' said Pulis. 'And make sure the Premier League know that!'


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Mirror:

Chelsea 1-0 Stoke City: Rare Cole goal keeps Blues flying high
By Matt Law

It was the left-back's first goal in two years as the Potters dogged defending was broken late on to keep the Blues top of the league

Roberto Di Matteo tried to give the Chelsea fans a glimpse into the future, but it took one of the golden oldies to spare his blushes.
Chelsea have been stalling on offering 31-year-old Ashley Cole a new contract, with ­manager Di Matteo under orders to usher in a new era.
But, in front of owner Roman Abramovich, left-back Cole proved it may still be a bit early to dispense with the old boys.
Cole, whose deal runs out at the end of the season, rescued three points for Chelsea after the home side had been ­frustrated by Stoke and ­survived a couple of scares.
Jonathan Walters hit the bar for the visitors from a Glenn Whelan free-kick, while David Luiz was forced to hack clear to stop Peter Crouch pouncing.
Di Matteo dropped captain John Terry and Frank Lampard to the bench and put his faith in a £125million Fab Four of Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar.
Mata conjured the assist for Cole with a backheel and Oscar produced another performance full of promise, but Torres and Hazard had days to forget.
The Belgian dragged an ­angled shot wide, while Torres chested down a Mata chip but missed his kick with just ­keeper Asmir Begovic to beat.
Ambramovich will not have been impressed with what he saw and presumably gave up looking for the receipt on Torres long ago.
The Russian had visited the Chelsea training ground after the Champions League draw with Juventus.
If he thought that game was bad, yesterday was far worse despite Cole’s late winner.
Torres has now gone four games without a goal, Ramires was poor and a defence without Terry looked vulnerable.
Abramovich will expect ­better, despite the fact Chelsea are yet to lose a Premier League game this season.
Di Matteo dropped Terry with his FA hearing over the racism row with Anton Ferdinand due to start tomorrow.
Terry had been at fault for the Juventus equaliser and the club confirmed he was not injured, but gave ‘rotation’ as the reason for his omission.
Gary Cahill and Luiz were uncomfortable dealing Crouch. but the Brazilian reacted well to hack clear after Petr Cech had spilled a Michael Kightly effort.
Branislav Ivanovic was lucky not to be booked for ­diving in the penalty area, but Oscar did not get away with his less-than-convincing act five minutes after the break.
The Brazilian tried to dance round Ryan Shawcross and threw himself down, only for ref Michael Oliver to rightly pull out the yellow card.
Di Matteo decided it was time to split up his Fab Four just after the hour mark, replacing Hazard with Victor Moses.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis also changed it and threw on free transfer Michael Owen.
The striker had been given three minutes against Manchester City but had longer to try to make his mark here. But he barely touched the ball.
Oscar was doing his best to find a way through but saw two shots from distance well saved by Begovic and another flash just wide.
Di Matteo made a last roll of the dice by finally sending on Lampard, but it was Cole who bailed him out in the 85th minute with his first ­Chelsea goal since May 2010.
Di Matteo said: “I thought it was just a question of time ­before we scored. Obviously, when it comes to the last 20 minutes, time is running out.
“But when you play against Stoke, it’s always so hard to break them down. They ­’re very well-drilled.”
The goal came when ­Ivanovich crossed from the right, Mata produced a wonderful backheel and Cole was in the right place to convert.
He might just want to knock on the owner’s door about that new contract tomorrow.


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Sun:

Chelsea 1 Stoke 0

By MARK IRWIN

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH has finally got his Chelsea wish — but he does not look that happy about it.
Since he took control at Stamford Bridge nine years ago, the hard-to-please Russian has demanded sexy, entertaining football.
Well, the good news for Abramovich is Roberto Di Matteo finally has his team playing just like Arsenal. The bad news is it means lots of intricate passing on the edge of the area with little end product.
And Abramovich’s permanent frown, as he looked down on this unconvincing victory from his lofty perch up in the West Stand, was worth a million words.

Ashley Cole’s 85th-minute goal was just about enough to see off a doggedly determined Stoke and move Chelsea three points clear at the top of the table.

But do not be fooled by their lofty league position. Abramovich certainly is not.
The owner paid one of his dreaded visits to the training ground the other day to ask why they had surrendered a two-goal lead against Juventus on Wednesday.

He also wanted to know why Di Matteo is still not getting the best out of Fernando Torres, despite spending £80million on new signings this summer.
Yet the answer is blindingly obvious. It does not matter who is feeding the ammunition to Torres when the £50m striker is in such wretched form.
Di Matteo, predictably, claimed to be delighted with the Spaniard’s performance and disputed suggestions Torres was anything but magnificent as his lone striker.
He also insisted his team will be even more impressive when his new signings have had more time to gel. And that one is probably true.
For the first time this season, Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata started together as part of the most expensively assembled attacking line in football.

It was also quite likely the smallest side the Blues have fielded for some time and certainly a case of men against boys compared to Tony Pulis’ giants.

Yet it was not a lack of physical presence that was the problem. Quite simply, while Daniel Sturridge is ruled out by a hamstring injury, Torres is Plan A through to Plan Z.
When Didier Drogba was allowed to leave in the summer, Torres was assured he would be the main man this season and appeared to respond to the vote of confidence with goals against Reading and Newcastle.
But he has now gone right back into his shell and, after four games without a goal, is wearing that all too familiar put-upon look again.

He had two decent first-half opportunities but headed over from Hazard’s early corner and then failed to make a decent connection from Mata’s clever chip over the City defence.
Jon Walters should have claimed the lead for the visitors when he was picked out by Glenn Whelan’s 19th-minute free-kick but sent his close-range header against Petr Cech’s bar.
And Stoke were out of luck again just before the break when Geoff Cameron hammered a cross into the chest of Michael Kightly. That forced Cech into a quick reaction save to keep out the deflection.
Against such a physically imposing side as the Potters, it was a curious day for Di Matteo to ‘rotate’ John Terry to the subs’ bench — particularly as the captain could soon be on a long break courtesy of this week’s FA disciplinary commission.
Frank Lampard was also given a rest and it was only when he was sent on for the final 10 minutes that Chelsea finally opened up a Stoke back four impressively marshalled by captain Ryan Shawcross.
In the home side’s defence, at least they never threw in the towel. And their persistence was finally rewarded when Branislav Ivanovic’s low cross was exquisitely flicked on by Mata to leave Cole clear through on goal.
The England full-back last scored for Chelsea back in May 2010 but showed an impressive calmness as he placed his shot beyond stranded Asmir Begovic.
It was a desperately cruel outcome for Stoke, who are still waiting for their first victory of the season and have won only one of their last 18 games.
Boss Tony Pulis was jumping up and down on the touchline at some of Chelsea’s antics and was particularly upset by theatrical penalty appeals from Ivanovic and Oscar. He was no happier with David Luiz’s stoppage-time foul on Walters.

In the end, the Blues picked up the result which will allow them to watch today’s events at Anfield and the Etihad nicely relaxed.
But it will not always be this comfortable. Arsenal away next week will give us a better indicator of where Chelsea are right now.


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Express:

CHELSEA 1 - STOKE 0: ASHLEY COLE'S JUST TOO HOT FOR STOKE

By John Richardson

A RARE Ashley Cole goal probably prevented a grumpy bearded Russian from making another swift return to the Chelsea training ground.
Chelsea, with a seemingly cloned midfield of diddymen with deft touches, must have driven owner Roman Abramovich, watching on from the posh seats, to distraction.
For 85 minutes they had passed themselves into a frenzy, hitting cul de sac after cul de sac – the satnav obviously having a malfunction.
Abramovich was promised an enlightened era of swashbuckling football designed to place some glitter on the stoic stuff which ended in Champions League glory.
For much of this game against a Stoke side who grew in stature and carved out the better chances, it seemed a bleak return for the oligarch’s near £100million summer investment.
It was reported the owner wasn’t too pleased with the loss of a two-goal lead in the Champions League against Juventus in midweek and made his displeasure known at the training ground the next morning.

But at times the tippy-tappy football was only producing louder and louder groans from the stands
Until the unlikely figure of England defender Cole popped up in the box to score only his seventh goal in his 269th appearance for the club Roberto Di Matteo and company could have been fearing another untimely visit from the main man.
The Chelsea fans couldn’t care less as they sang ‘We’re the champions of Europe, we know who we are’.
Nothing can take that away from them – at least in the coming months – but if they want to be English champions there is still a long road ahead.
Manager Di Matteo was happy to celebrate an extended lead on the Premier League summit maintaining:
“When you play Stoke it’s always hard to break them down. I felt it was only a question of time before we scored.”

But at times the tippy-tappy football was only producing louder and louder groans from the stands.
It was only when £9million Victor Moses was plucked from the substitutes bench to replace an ineffective £32m Eden Hazard with less than 30 minutes to go that Chelsea discovered width and a much needed injection of pace.
Di Matteo had also gambled by leaving John Terry and Frank Lampard on the bench until the dying embers of the game. Regarding Terry’s omission from the starting line-up, the Italian denied it was anything to do with his skipper’s appearance before an FA commission tomorrow on racism charges involving QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.
“We have a big squad and I don’t want players burned out by November. I will continue to utilise the squad.”
Chelsea had to wait until five minutes from the end of normal time for the vital penetration.
The man they invested £50m to provide the cutting edge is still in cow’s bottom and banjo country.
That was never more graphically illustrated as when Juan Mata chipped into the area only for Fernando Torres to miskick as he searched for the killing finish. There was plenty of Chelsea possession but the clear chances came at the other end. It’s why this morning Stoke boss Tony Pulis will be wondering how his side didn’t pick up their fifth consecutive draw of the embryonic season.
The reason they didn’t was through some Chelsea artistry which finally packed a punch.
Branislav Ivanovic went on a charge and his low cross was expertly back heeled into Cole’s path by Mata. The England full-back, who now looks set to sign a lucrative new deal at his club, might have been in nosebleed territory but he didn’t freeze and neatly dinked over Begovic.
That left Pulis exasperated and it soon turned to anger when David Luis escaped with a yellow card with a scything challenge on Jon Walters.
He said: “It was a dreadful challenge. Even David will admit he was lucky to stay on the pitch.”
By then the real damage had been done and Stoke were left contemplating their missed chances.
The hard-running Walters sent a header thudding against the bar from Glenn Whelan’s free-kick.
Petr Cech grabbed a long range effort from Marc Wilson and did better to keep out Michael Kightly’s attempt following Geoff Cameron’s fiercely driven cross.
Walters was just wide from a Peter Crouch knockdown while Charlie Adam wasted a razor sharp break led by the impressive Kightly.
Pulis added: “This is the best we have played here in five years of being in the Premier League.

”Ref: M Oliver Att: 41,112

CHELSEA: Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole; Mikel (Lampard 81), Ramires; Mata (Terry 88), Oscar, Hazard (Moses 62); Torres.

STOKE: Begovic; Cameron, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson; N’Zonzi, Adam (Owen 64), Whelan, Kightly (Etherington 72); Walters; Crouch (Jones 75).

MAN of the MATCH: Juan Mata – kept Chelsea’s supply line going when it was in danger of being cut off through over elaboration. He also made the winning goal.


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Star:

CHELSEA 1 - STOKE CITY 0: ASHLEY COLE'S RARE GEM SINKS BRAVE STOKE

By Tony Stenson

ASHLEY COLE, whose goals are as rare as his chats to the press, kept Chelsea on top of the Premier League.
The England defender grabbed a late winner, just when Stoke looked set to follow the form book.
Tony Pulis’s Potters had drawn all four of their Premier League matches this season – with their last win coming way back in April.
But Cole showed that in the land of the giants, the small man can still be a winner.
England star Cole stands at barely 5ft 8ins, with most Stoke players towering over him.
But he stole on to Juan Mata’s clever 85th-minute back-heel to decide a game that for long periods lacked class.
Stoke haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since 1995 but on a sun-kissed afternoon they made Chelsea work so hard for the three points.
To be a Stoke player you need to look more like a basketball star but at times they showed a decent touch on the floor.
And with the exceptions of Mata and David Luiz, Chelsea were made to look very ordinary.
Fernando Torres had another game to forget and John Obi Mikel showed that he can’t unlock doors in midfield.
Roberto Di Matteo’s side were often guilty of tippy-tappy football, with players bunching and trying to walk the ball into the net.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich continues to give his support to manager Di Matteo.
But even he threw up his hands in despair when Stoke forward Jonathan Walters thundered a 19th-minute header on to Chelsea’s crossbar, from Glenn Whelan’s free-kick.
That shook the home side and Torres missed a golden chance in the 26th minute, when he failed to convert a sweet chip from fellow Spaniard Mata.
Oscar was booked in the 50th minute for diving but then forced Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic to get down sharply to keep out his snapshot from 18 yards.
Chelsea looked a more inventive side after Victor Moses replaced Eden Hazard in the 62nd minute.
And with five minutes of normal time to play Cole swooped to finally break Stoke’s resistance.
There were a few unpleasant moments before the final whistle, as Luiz and Walters were booked for tackles that, on another day, might have warranted a red card.
John Terry and Frank Lampard both made late appearances off the bench, after resting tired muscles, following a start to the season that has given notice that the Blues are back in the title hunt.
Terry has his FA case tomorrow, to answer allegations of racism against QPR’s Anton Ferdinand – a ridiculous waste of time, since he has already been cleared in a court of law.
The FA will face the full might of Terry’s lawyers should they find him guilty.
Meanwhile, boss Di Matteo revealed that Chelsea are close to getting Cole to sign a new, long-term contract.
The Italian said: “We are talking. My recommendation is he should stay here. I hope he does.”
Di Matteo also denied he ‘rested’ skipper Terry because of his FA appearance tomorrow and said: “We have a good squad here and everyone deserves a chance. I will not answer any other questions about him.”
Stoke boss Pulis accused Oscar and Branislav Ivanovic of diving. He said: “Oscar is a fabulous player, so is Ivanovic, but we can’t allow players to fall over without talking about it.
“We are disappointed as this is the closest Stoke have come to winning here in many years.”